In Holy Trinity Church at Easton Royal, Wiltshire, a marble plaque records the death of the youngest son of the parish minister. Behind this memorial lies an extraordinary family saga researched by village resident, Elizabeth Johnson, after she discovered a letter written some years before by local stonemason Ben Lloyd, introducing himself to the newly-appointed vicar. He wrote how well he knew the church, including the impressive plaque and beautiful stained-glass window, both dedicated to David Herbert Llewellyn who had died during tragic circumstances in 1864 at the age of 26. Ben continued with the revelation that David was not the son of the village curate as recorded, but the illegitimate child of Florence Nightingale and Sidney Herbert – second son of George, 11th Earl of Pembroke – who in later years was to lay his career and personal reputation on the line by sending Florence to nurse in the Crimea. The Secret Life of Florence Nightingale is a compelling story which combines historical truths and dramatic licence to weave together the lives and loves of one extraordinary woman and two courageous men as they struggle to achieve their goals within the uncompromising moralities of Victorian Britain.
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